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<title>hear him out by frolicking (flickeringheartbeat)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25573798">hear him out</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/flickeringheartbeat/pseuds/frolicking'>frolicking (flickeringheartbeat)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Strangers to Lovers, anna is reader, idk this short fic has been stuffed in my fic folder so here ya gooo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:54:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25573798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/flickeringheartbeat/pseuds/frolicking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>seokmin's family moved in at the reader's neighborhood during high school. being the new bubbly kid in the neighborhood, seokmin has troubles in making friends with the reader due to her scary persona. twist ensues at college.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Seokmin | DK/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>hear him out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>at the corner most part of the hallway, specifically the building's lounge, anna sits in comfort as she waits for her classmate so they can study together for their quiz in financial accounting later. five minutes have already passed, and no sign of her friend is present yet on the silent hallway.</p>
<p>"great. now we got less than an hour for the quiz." anna mumbles, disappointed. she brings out her calculator to start solving sample problems. </p>
<p>while solving problems, the familiar hypnotizing voice echoes through anna's ears and it sends shivers through her body as she listens to the owner's voice belting a high note at the end. just like anna, the rest of the students currently staying in the lounge were in awe listening to the "rehearsal" from the school of music's students.</p>
<p>"I wonder who owns that voice though. he must be good-looking!" says the other girl sitting two tables away from anna. </p>
<p>anna grunts and rolls her eyes as she gets up from her seat, arranging her things as she decided to study the rest of the topic in their room. because from what she remembered last time, she fell asleep in the same spot here in the lounge due to a similar voice she heard today.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>wednesdays are never good for anna, knowing that her schedule is jam-packed with minors and a life-threatening major. as anna turns right to her house, a familiar presence suddenly appears beside her. </p>
<p>"hi anna!"</p>
<p>seokmin's expression remains bright—the shit-eating grin, eye smiles, and posture's erect with his hands gripping on his backpack's straps. his neighbor seems to get used by this constant greeting every day as she exhales audible enough for seokmin to hear. </p>
<p>"hello." and with a brief and boring response, she continues walking, shoulders are slumped, not having enough energy for today's happenings.</p>
<p>no matter how seokmin got death-glared by anna every time they happen to get out at the same time from their houses, he finds a little hope that someday, he and anna will be in good terms, although he clearly has no idea why anna was mad at him in the first place. one time, he even asked his mom about anna's perpetual attitude towards him but he was surprised to hear her answer.</p>
<p>"was she though? but she got the best smile in this neighborhood! anna is so accommodating to her visitors too." his mother exhales and smiles. "such a beautiful lady she is, isn't she?"</p>
<p>seokmin could only scratch his nape awkwardly. "uh, yes." he mumbles.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>anna hears the same voice again as she tries to sleep in the lounge. her first class starts at 10, and she arrives at 9. although the lounge was a blessing for her study shenanigans, the recent weeks had her stressed out from the rehearsals happening in the room beside the lounge.</p>
<p>she's been stressed out because the voices she always hears are effectively lulling her to sleep, thus missing her chance to review for quizzes and exams, and concentrate to continue doing her reports.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"hey, i think im going to miss out on our study sesh for economics. i have a date tonight and i don't want to miss it!" as her friend whisper the last sentence, anna whines in annoyance. </p>
<p>"your boyfriend can't even remember your anniversary." anna looks at her friend in slight disgust.</p>
<p>"he's making up for our relationship's good." her friend answers. anna lets out a stiff breath one more time. "if he breaks your heart, he better not catch these hands." </p>
<p>her friend laughs so hard until her stomach is aching. "guess I will. that one's really good though." she chuckles. </p>
<p>"sorry for tonight again, anna-babes! i'll make it up for you soon." her friend hugs her for assurance, making anna feel guilty and she hugs her back. "hey, you don't have to be like this. now go, have fun with your boyfie tonight." she jokingly pushes her after and wave goodbyes to each other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>the university's premises have been busy overnight for almost three weeks, due to preparation for incoming activities from the majority of the schools, and anna takes it as an opportunity to find a solemn place that could help her focus on studying for economics. anyhow, turns out it's a productive night—at least, and anna is ready to go home with the biggest smile on her face.</p>
<p>as she passes by several rooms, her sight landed at the auditorium's door which was left ajar, making her curious about what's going on inside. the halls she has entered so far were lecture halls for her minors and electives.</p>
<p>anna enters the auditorium hall and is welcomed by partial darkness. she was about to retreat when she heard a deep single clap.</p>
<p>"cut!"</p>
<p>surprised, she slowly sits down and secretly watches the rehearsal, scanning the people at the stage below until she spots seokmin in a knight costume, trying hard not to look exhausted.</p>
<p>
  <em>he looks so cool in that costume, though.</em>
</p>
<p>he’s focused on the director’s instructions and props himself as he returns to his position. the three guys, including seokmin, were having a serious conversation and suddenly the stage goes black. moments after, a spotlight casts straight to him and he starts singing.</p>
<p>anna exits the auditorium without any word.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"so it was him," anna keeps on murmuring and she almost got hit by a car when she exited the university's gate. although she was amazed by seokmin's voice hours ago, the thought of him never rehearsing at his house left a mystery to herself.  two things left hanging in anna's mind, and she badly needs answers.</p>
<p>
  <em>one. seokmin's not an early riser (according to his mother), but how come he could practice as early as 8:30 in the morning?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>two. he talks loudly that anna would literally cover her ears and wishes that he didn't move in this neighborhood. she never heard him singing, for once.</em>
</p>
<p>anna remains spacing out until a small poke causes her to jump in surprise. she almost throws a punch to seokmin's face, and at light speed, she composes herself. seokmin grins and waves at her as if he's never tired from his rehearsal this evening. "hi anna!"</p>
<p>anna nods curtly and rushes towards her home, leaving seokmin smiling to himself in a trance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>for three days, anna has been arriving at her home early and it was safe to say that she finally didn't get a glimpse of seokmin's presence, even his shadow. not that she hates him (because she never despises him to be honest), but his bubbly presence is too annoying for her another grumpy day.</p>
<p>walking home in silence, anna suddenly hears sniffs and silent whimpers. she looks around, only to find out that it was seokmin sitting on the sidewalk's concrete gutter, and he's crying in secret. anna hesitates to approach him, but she couldn't help seeing someone being pitiful. she walks slowly, then reaches him a sheet of wipes. looking up to the owner of the wipes, seokmin immediately averts his gaze from anna.</p>
<p>"you ok?" asks anna.</p>
<p>"don't mind me. i'm fine." seokmin answers sternly.</p>
<p><em>okay, you asked for it.</em> without any doubt, anna starts walking towards her home, never buying any shit from people who don't even want comfort.</p>
<p>only then he slowly speaks up, voice cracking not to cry again. "am i not good enough?"</p>
<p>anna halts from walking and turns around to see seokmin's full crying face. his eyes are bloodshot red, his face pinkish despite the fake glow the streetlights have shone. it took almost a minute for anna to approach seokmin and sit beside him.</p>
<p>"are you honestly ok?" she asks one more time.</p>
<p>without any hesitation, seokmin leans at anna's shoulder and broke down, making her froze in position. she's never good at comforting people so she let him express his heartbreak, or doubt, or disappointment or anything negative that causes him to act this way.</p>
<p>"I thought i'm not enough for the role, I-I did my best but I thought they're not pleased to watch me at all," he says between cries, giving anna the hint to his breakdown tonight.</p>
<p>"I heard your voice before, and I think you were undeniably good." anna tells him with no emotion felt at all, but it struck differently to seokmin. his tears seem to stop rolling down his cheeks and side-eyed her hands. "you d—"</p>
<p>"dressing up as a knight with a super cool voice. how romantic." she pauses and seokmin tries not to blush. "should've seen your partner smiling to herself behind.</p>
<p>"and well, your head is heavy so lift your head up." she violently pats seokmin's shoulder and he wipes his face.</p>
<p>"lee seokmin! dinner's up!" </p>
<p>the yell from seokmin's mother is too audible for the whole neighborhood to hear and seokmin shies away from anna. anna gets up and dusts off her bum, giving him one more sheet of wipes. "i'll get going," and she walks away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>anna wakes up from the blinding rays of the sun to her sight. though it's not yet late for her first class, she planned to go to their university as early as 8:30 to review her long report. besides, her pocket money is still sufficient for her today's expenses that's why she immediately exits their house after prepping herself. </p>
<p>early mornings will always be the best part of the day.</p>
<p>while walking, anna looks around her neighborhood's little wonders until her eyes landed at a surprisingly quiet seokmin walking with his gaze cast on the ground. anna tries not to freak out from surprise, ignoring the sudden gloomy presence.</p>
<p>"good morning, anna." seokmin says softly. "thanks about last night. uhh, i told mom and dad about it and they were totally fine but worried about me going home late." he adds, scratching his nape.</p>
<p>anna lets out a sigh of relief. "that's nice. now, you don't need to question if you're good or not, because your voice is honestly amazing and i think you're really talented." she stops on her tracks and faces seokmin, craning her neck since he's almost 15 cm taller than her. "it's a gift to have that kind of voice."</p>
<p>both of them are staring at each other until seokmin breaks into his jovial self. he swiftly envelopes anna in his bear hug until she feels suffocated. "stop doing this, we're not friends." she says coldly.</p>
<p>seokmin insists as he continues hugging his neighbor. "i always believe that you're kind."</p>
<p>who would've thought that it only took six words for anna to accept seokmin as her friend?</p>
<p>after their six minutes journey to the university, they look at each other before parting ways to their buildings.</p>
<p>"uh... anna? can i treat you out for tonight? at the ice cream parlor in our neighborhood...ifyouwantedtobutit'sokayifyoudon't."</p>
<p>anna thinks he's dumb talking like an auctioneer, making her chuckle in disbelief. "only if you want me to watch your musical next week."</p>
<p>she must've uttered something that causes seokmin to feel offended due to his expression, only to realize that he's freaking out inside as he slowly grins at her. "okay, not a problem at all!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>cross-posted this at aff!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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